The present invention relates to an electrical plug having a connection unit which can be coupled to an electrical line in order to transmit electrical energy, and having at least one electrical contact pin which has a plug section and a coupling section, wherein the coupling section is electrically coupled to the connection unit and wherein the plug section is designed to provide a releasable plug connection to an associated contact socket.
The present invention further relates to an energy transmission arrangement having an electrical plug of the type mentioned above and an electrical line which is electrically coupled to the connection unit of the electrical plug.
It is universally known in the field of automotive drive technology to use an electric machine as the sole drive or jointly with a drive motor of another type (hybrid drive). In such electric or hybrid vehicles, electric machines are typically used as the drive motor, said electric machines being supplied with electrical energy by an electrical energy storage, such as, e.g., an accumulator. Depending on the charging state, the electrical energy storages of electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles have to be regularly connected to an electrical energy supply network in order charge the energy storage with electrical energy.
In order to transmit the electrical energy from a charging station to the vehicle, an inductively coupled, wireless energy transmission system or a cable can, e.g., be used. When using a cable, it is particularly user friendly if the electric vehicle or the hybrid vehicle can be connected to any arbitrary standard electrical outlet in order to charge the fraction battery. In the case of such standard electrical outlets, no special blocking device is, however, present which prevents a simple release of the charging cable. The charging cable can thus be disconnected under a full load of the charging process (approximately 3.6 kW). This can in fact lead to arcing between the plug of the charging cable and the electrical outlet. As a result, the plug and the electrical outlet can be damaged. In addition, there is a risk of burns to the user.
When using the standardized EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) with corresponding plug connectors, the disconnection of the charging cable under load is prevented by mechanical buttons or electromagnetic locking mechanisms. A switch, which interrupts the energy transmission before the charging cable is disconnected, is, for example, simultaneously actuated when actuating a corresponding mechanical button. When using an electromechanical locking mechanism, said mechanism first releases the plug if the charging process has been properly completed or has been interrupted by user intervention (e.g. by actuating a switch).
The electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle can however only be charged at special EVSE charging stations and not at any arbitrary standard electrical outlet. The user-friendliness of such vehicles is therefore greatly reduced.